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Friday, February 3, 2017

1881: Recipes for inhaled medicine

There were many inhalers available during the second half of the 19th century that allowed patients with various respiratory disorders to inhale medicine. Which inhaler used, and which medicine used, depended on the desires of the physician and patient.

The recipe for making the medicine was usually found in a pharmacopoeia. The ingredients were usually purchased by the patient and prepared using the recipe, which was usually given to the patient by the physician.

While the physician would recommend a dose and frequency, he would probably give the patient some leeway to titrate them for desired effect. Once a patient received relief with minimal side effects from a particular medicine, he probably gained confidence in adjusting both the dose and frequency. In this way, many patients became their own physicians.

Dr. Morell Mackenzie recommended steam powered inhalers, particularly the Eclectic Inhaler. This was a small inhaler that allowed the patient to easily inhale steam in any position.

A pharmacopoeia he edited contained many recipes inhaled medications for breathing disorders. Usually a pint of boiling water was poured into a steam inhaler with about a teaspoon of the medicine. However, in some instances other means of inhaling the medicine were indicated (as in recipe #5 below).

Use.—Stimulant; useful in chronic laryngitis and functional aphonia. This Inhalation may be advantageously employed in combination with any of the volatile oils, or with Camphor or Thymol. In such case Prepared Kaolin is to be used for keeping the oils in suspension in place of Light Carbonate of Magnesia.

Note.—The strong salts of Ammonia, employed as smelling-salts, are very useful in cases of obstinate sneezing, as in hay-fever, influenza, &c. The patient should be directed to smell the salts directly a disposition to sneeze is felt.

3. Vapor Acidi Hydrocyanici:

Dilute Hydrocyanic acid (dose given) and mix 1 drachm of it to 1 drachm of water.

A teaspoon in a pint of water at 80° F for each inhalation

Use.—Sedative. Very useful in the cough of laryngeal phthisis, and in some spasmotic affections.

4. Vapor Etheris:

Mix 1/2 ounce of ether with 1/2 ounce of Rectified Spirit.

A teaspoon in a pint of water at 80° F for each inhalation.

Use.—Sedative and antispasmotic

5. Vapor Ethyl Iodidi:

Iodide of Ethyl, a sufficient quantity

Five to ten drops on a piece of lint or handkerchief for Inhalation.

Use.—For cases of bronchial asthma

There were many other medicinal recipes, although I think this will suffice for our purposes.

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John Bottrell is a respiratory therapist. He's a featured asthma and COPD writer for asthma.net and copd.net. He's the creator and occasionally writer for Respiratory Therapy Cave, the #1 respiratory therapy blog. He's an avid historian and creator of Asthma History. His blog posts have been featured in various newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune. He has previously been a featured asthma/COPD writer for Healthcentral.com and asthma writer for Answers.com.